From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shōnen-ai (少年愛, Shōnen-ai^? "boy-love") is a term that is applied to anime or manga that deals with love between young men, especially of the bishōnen (美少年, bishōnen^?) variety. The genre itself dealt with romanticized but non-sexual relationships between men. The predecessor of shōnen-ai was tanbi (耽美, tanbi^?). ^{[citation needed]}

Shōnen-ai is less sexually explicit than yaoi, sometimes not at all. Shōnen-ai is very popular in Japan, especially among schoolgirls and housewives. It has also found a strong audience in America and Europe, especially among 18–24 year old heterosexual women and homosexual men.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The gay novel deals with homosexual love between men. Novels that deal with homosexual love between women are usually referred to as lesbian novels. Some of the great works of Western literature were written by gay writers or by authors who are sympathetic to gay life and its concerns. Some of the more celebrated authors and works that touch on homosexual relationships, whether directly or indirectly, include:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At Swim, Two Boys
Author	Jamie O'Neill
Country	Ireland
Language	English
Genre(s)	Fiction
Publisher	Scribner
Publication date	2001
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	643 pages
ISBN	ISBN 0-7432-0713-0

At Swim, Two Boys (2001) is a novel by Irish writer Jamie O'Neill. The title of the book is a punning allusion to Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds. The book is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, which has led to favourable comparisons to James Joyce.

[edit] Plot summary

Set in Dublin before and during the 1916 Easter Rising, it tells the love story of two boys: Jim Mack and Doyler Doyle. Jim is quiet, studious, thoughtful, and naive; Doyler is outspoken, rebellious, brave, and affectionate. They first know each other through their fathers, who served in the army together and were best friends - something that has changed since.

The swimming of the title becomes the main setting for their romance; Doyler teaches Jim to swim and their goal is to swim out to an island called the Muglins on Easter, 1916 and claim it for themselves. In the meantime, however, there are the realities of ordinary life. Jim is at school on a scholarship and Doyler is working to help support his family, which consists of his mother, several little sisters, and the classic alcoholic Irish father. In contrast, in Jim's family there are his father, his great-aunt, and a brother away in the army.